Christmas Surprises
by articcat621
Summary: Scorpius takes Rose to meet his parents on Christmas. Rose is nervous but doesn't realize that Scorpius may have an alternative motive for wanting to visit his parents. Cute and fluffy Christmas one-shot.


A/N: Here's a fluffy Scorpius/Rose Christmas fic. A huge thanks to TycheSong for alpha reading this one shot for me. A huge thanks to ReillyJade for betaing this for me. I hope you all enjoy.

Disclaimer: JKR owns all the characters from the Harry Potter world, not me. I am not making any money from the posting of this one shot.

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_Christmas Surprises_

"Come on, Rosie, don't be worried!" Scorpius said, gently tugging on his girlfriend's hand.

Rose blushed, staring up at the looming manor ahead. She took a nervous step back.

"Scorp, I don't think I can do this." She looked down at her feet.

"What? Why not?"

"Because I'm a half-blood!" she blurted, looking embarrassed.

Scorpius took in her tear-stained face and shook his head.

"Hey, Christmas day isn't a time for crying." He wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her shoulder. "There's no reason for you to cry, Rosie."

"But what if your parents don't like me? Or your grandparents! I know they dislike my mum," Rose said with a sniff. She had heard plenty of tales from her parents and everyone else in her family about how important blood status was to the Malfoys. While she loved Scorpius with all of her heart, she wasn't sure if she would live up to his family's standards.

"Rose, stop worrying. It's true Grandfather used to believe in all that pure-blood supremacy crap, but I don't. And my parents don't either. They've changed."

"But what if they don't like me?" she asked softly, mumbling against his chest.

Scorpius gently tilted her chin upwards so her blue eyes would meet his grey ones.

"It doesn't matter," he said firmly. "I love you, Rose, and that's all that matters."

"But what if your father forbids it? What if he cuts you out of his will?"

Scorpius rolled his eyes. "Then I'll have to work extra hard to be sure to provide for you and our future family."

Rose blushed at his words.

Scorpius tucked a red curl behind her ear. "Stop trying to convince me this is a bad idea. We've been dating for a year, Rose. I want my parents to meet you."

"I know, I know," she said, trying to calm herself.

"Besides, I have to face a swarm of redheads later today all for you and I know they aren't all happy you're dating a Malfoy. It's only fair that you meet my family as well."

Rose took a deep breath and nodded. "Okay, I can do this."

"Of course you can! You're Rose Weasley, the smartest and prettiest girl I know."

Looking upwards, she gently gave Scorpius a kiss.

"Now come on, let's go inside. I'm freezing out here."

Scorpius took her hand and the two of them headed inside the Manor. Once indoors, he helped Rose out of her cloak. He handed their outerwear to a house elf before leading her towards the drawing room.

Rose looked around the manor in awe. She had heard about the splendor and riches of the Malfoy family before, but seeing it was unlike anything else. Gold adorned every item in sight.

"Come on, Mother and Father are in here," Scorpius said, leading her towards a set of oak doors. He paused outside, turning to face her. "Don't be worry, Rose. Just be yourself and they'll love you, okay?"

Shakily, Rose nodded. She trusted Scorpius knew what he was doing. He had never steered her wrong before and she knew that he wouldn't do so now.

Scorpius pushed open the doors, stepping inside. Rose followed him, glancing around the large room. There was a silver tree with gold ornaments garnishing it. It was in the corner of the room near the marble fireplace. Despite the fire burning, Rose felt chilled to the bone. She thought the room was rather empty apart from the tree in the corner. While everything was decorated nicely, it lacked the warmth that the Burrow held.

In front of the fireplace was a red sofa where Scorpius' parents were sitting. Mr. Malfoy had a stern expression as he gazed at the flickering fire while Mrs. Malfoy turned to watch them enter, a pleased expression on her face. It was obvious she was eager to see her son.

"Scorpius!" his mother cried, quickly getting up from the couch. She glided across the floor and approached her son, pulling him in for a hug. "Oh, I've missed you."

Rose immediately saw that every move Mrs. Malfoy made was made with elegance and grace. Her posture while she embraced Scorpius spoke volumes about her social status. She moved like a regal queen.

"I missed you too, Mother," Scorpius said, hugging her back. He couldn't help but smile. His mother had always been warm towards him in contrast of his father's usual aloofness.

"And who is this?" she asked, looking at Rose with a smile on her face.

"This is my girlfriend, Rose," Scorpius said, giving Rose a reassuring smile.

His father stood, looking them over with a concerned expression. "Rose? And what is your surname, Rose?"

Her cheeks turned red. "Weasley, sir."

"Ah, a Weasley. And which one is your parent?" he inquired. He attempted to keep the sneer off his face.

"Ron Weasley, sir. Hermione Weasley is my mother," Rose said, looking towards the floor.

"Ah."

Scorpius cleared his throat, breaking the awkward silence. "Rosie, this is my mother, Astoria, and my father, Draco."

"It's a pleasure to meet you both," Rose said, looking up to meet their eyes. Astoria gave her a warm smile while Draco simply looked away. To her, it seemed that Scorpius' parents were polar opposites.

"Why don't you both take a seat?" Astoria suggested, gesturing to the couch.

Scorpius and Rose lowered themselves to the sofa, while Astoria sat on the opposite side of Scorpius and Draco stood by the fireplace.

"So is this the girl you've mentioned in your letters from school?" Astoria asked, looking at Rose approvingly.

"Yes. And since you've read my letters, you know how I feel about her," Scorpius said, giving a look Rose couldn't comprehend to his mother.

Astoria smiled, a knowing look on her face. "Yes, Scorpius, your father and I have discussed this earlier and depending on how the evening goes… well, you and your father will have to talk."

Rose felt completely lost. What in Merlin's name was Astoria talking about? What had they been discussing? She didn't like feeling like she was being excluded from an important secret.

Scorpius sent her a reassuring smile and squeezed her hand, but it didn't do much to subdue the confusion in her mind. She was determined to ask him about it as soon as they were alone.

They talked idly for a few minutes about what was going on in the Ministry and at Hogwarts, but Draco remained silent. He nursed his firewhiskey and stared into the fire. Rose noticed his expression was blank and decided that he must have been lost in his thoughts.

"Well, why don't we head to the dining room for lunch?" Astoria suggested.

Scorpius took Rose's hand, leading her alone.

"This was a bad idea," she whispered, feeling as if she didn't belong in this house. Maybe it was just her insecurities, but she definitely felt as if Draco did not approve of her.

"Stop it," Scorpius hissed back, hoping his parents didn't hear. Once they were in the dining room, Scorpius held out Rose's chair for her before pushing her in. He took the seat across from her.

Draco and Astoria sat on one side of the table, Scorpius and her on the other. She bit her lip nervously.

As the first course, stuffed lemony eggs with caviar, appeared, Astoria glanced at Rose.

"I understand you and Scorpius met at Hogwarts?"

Rose nodded, swallowing her food and gently wiping her mouth. "Yes, ma'am. Scorpius and I are in the same year."

"Different houses, obviously," Draco interjected, a haughty expression on his face. Astoria shot him a glare.

Rose nodded.

"What house are you in?" Astoria inquired.

"Ravenclaw, Mother," Scorpius answered for her, smiling proudly. "Rose has the best marks in school."

Rose's cheeks turned pink at the praise. "Well, Scorpius is a close second."

"Just like her mother, then?" Draco interrupted once more before popping an egg into his mouth.

"Yes," Rose said proudly. "My mother had very high marks and I hope to beat hers when I take my NEWTSs in the spring."

"Good for you," Astoria said. "Have you given any thought as to what you'd like to do after Hogwarts?"

The second course, poached garlic soup, appeared next. Rose wasn't a huge fan of garlic but she ate it anyways, not wanting to insult the Malfoys.

"I'd like to go into research. I hope to get a job in the Department of Mysteries."

"That sounds very interesting," Astoria said.

"Yes. Minister Kingsley has put in a good word for her so she's almost guaranteed a job as an Unspeakable," Scorpius said.

"And Scorpius has just been accepted into the preliminary Auror program. If his NEWT scores are high enough, he'll start training right away," Rose said, smiling at Scorpius.

His face glowed red. "It's not a big deal."

"Of course it is!" Astoria exclaimed. "Scorpius, I'm so proud of you. I knew you were waiting to hear back from the Head Auror about the program."

"I just found out yesterday and wanted to tell you in person," Scorpius said, his face growing even redder.

Silence fell as everyone finished their soup. Rose was already feeling full even though the third course was just appearing. Thankfully, this looked much more appetizing than the previous entrees. She wasn't used to eating such fancy foods and felt embarrassed that she didn't know what much of it was. This one, however, she was familiar with. It was a burgundy salad with poached egg. She knew the dish was from France since her Aunt Fleur would often make it for lunch when they visited Shell Cottage.

Rose ate her salad, her eyes flicking up to meet Scorpius' every so often. She blushed, returning to her food. His foot gently nudged hers and when she glanced upwards, he waggled his eyes. She had to stifle her giggle.

Thankfully, the main course appeared. It was lamb and while Rose had never had lamb before but found that she really liked the flavor of the meat.She glanced up and watched Draco for a moment. He was eating with exact precision, cutting his lamb into perfectly square pieces and elegantly placing them into his mouth. Rose had heard from her mother that Draco had received a very different upbringing than the Weasleys had in the past. Draco's father, Lucius, had been extremely hard on his son, pushing him to the breaking point far too often during the war. Rose was saddened to see that Draco truly had been molded into a cold and reserved person.

Scorpius had also told her how hard his father was on him. Scorpius hated that no matter how well he did, his father pushed him even harder. But Rose saw now that it was just in Draco's nature. A small part of her pitied the man.

As she ate, Rose compared dinner with the Malfoys to dinner with the Weasleys. This dinner was so quiet and reserved while her normal dinners were filled with chaos and loudness. This dinner required manners which were never seen with the Weasley family. There was never a dull moment when they all went to Grandma Molly's house. But this was so strange. Rose inwardly shuddered at the formality of it all.

"So how long have you been seeing each other?" Astoria finally asked, looking back and forth between the couple.

"A little over a year," Scorpius replied.

"Is it serious?" Draco asked.

Scorpius flushed, nodding. "Yes, I like to think it is." He fidgeted nervously, afraid that his father might speak out against their relationship.

Rose squirmed in her chair, her heart fluttering restlessly. She knew Scorpius was serious about them, but hearing him tell his parents simply sent chills down her spine. It made her feel so special.

Draco didn't say anything; he simply turned to his dessert.

"Do you have any other siblings?" Astoria asked, hoping to change the topic

Rose turned to Astoria, nodding. "I have a younger brother, Hugo. He's in Gryffindor."

"That's wonderful. You have a very large family, don't you? It must be nice," Astoria said wistfully. She discreetly sent her husband a longing look.

Rose nodded. "I love having so many cousins, aunts and uncles. It makes me realize that I'm never really alone, even if I feel it. There's always someone to listen and give advice."

Rose saw Scorpius smile. She knew that he liked when she talked about her family because it made him wish he had that type of familial bond as well.

"How did you two meet?"

"Well," Scorpius began, "I've noticed Rose since our fourth year, but she never paid me any attention and every time I tried to gain hers, her cousins interfered. They're very protective, you see. But one day, Professor Longbottom paired us together for a Herbology project and we just clicked. I made my move and we've been together ever since." He gave Rose a smile, which she happily returned.

"How romantic," Astoria said with a sigh. "Your father and I didn't start dating until we had finished school. In fact, I don't think he even knew I existed."

"I knew who you were," Draco said defensively. "But since dinner is over, why don't we retire to the drawing room?"

The four of them stood. As they re-entered the drawing room, Rose looked to Scorpius to ask where she should sit but saw he was being pulled away from the room by his father.

"I'll be right back, Rosie!" he shouted, giving her thumbs up.

She smiled at him warily, watching as he disappeared from view.

"Rose, why don't you sit with me?" Astoria suggested, patting the seat next to her on the sofa.

She did so, blurting out "I'm sorry!" before she could stop herself.

"Sorry? Why are you sorry?" Astoria asked.

"Because I'm not a Pureblood," Rose answered.

"Nonsense," Astoria said with a wave of her hand. "That doesn't matter anymore. You're clearly an intelligent witch by what Scorpius has said. I am sure once we get to know you better, we'll come to approve of you as much as Scorpius does. I hope that someday you'll be much more comfortable here in the manor."

Rose blushed. "Thank you. I hope that, too, Mrs. Malfoy."

"Think nothing of it. I'm glad Scorpius brought you by for us to meet. I was beginning to worry that he might have been dallying with the same sex, if you catch my drift," Astoria said, arching her eyebrow.

Rose let out a laugh. "No, he's definitely not."

She was rather surprised about how open and relaxed Astoria was being even though they had just met. She was very warm and open despite her formal body language. She imagined that Scorpius would die of embarrassment if he knew what his mother and girlfriend were discussing. Mentally, she reminded herself to tell him about it later.

Astoria let out a small chuckle. "Then everything is all right."

Scorpius returned a few moments later.

"Well, Mother, Father, it was nice to see you both, but we'd best be off. We're heading to the Burrow for Christmas dinner." He patted his stomach. "Well, a second dessert anyways."

"Enjoy your evening and don't be such a stranger, Scorpius," Astoria said, hugging and kissing him goodbye. She gave Rose a small hug as well.

Scorpius shook his father's hand formally before taking Rose's hand and leading her out of the Manor.

"Well, that wasn't so bad," he said once they had reached the end of the driveway.

"Wasn't so bad? Your father hates me, Scorp!" Rose practically cried. "Your mother was lovely, but your father…"

"He doesn't hate you," he said softly.

"What?" Rose looked surprised. She looked at Scorpius as if he had grown a second head.

"Father doesn't hate you. While he had some trouble accepting it, he eventually approved."

"How do you know?" she questioned.

Scorpius looked at her, grinning mischievously.

"Because he gave me this." Reaching into his pocket, Scorpius pulled out a small ring.

"What's that?" Rose squeaked, her hands covering her mouth.

"A ring. It belonged to my great-great-grandmother. My father gave it to me, signifying that he approves of my choice."

"Your choice?"

"Yes," Scorpius said, grinning at her.

He got down on one knee and reached for her hand.

"Rose Marie Weasley, I love you more than anything in the entire world. Would you do me the honor of becoming my wife?"

She squealed, tackling him into the snow.

"Yes! Yes! Yes!" she repeated over and over, pressing kisses all over his face.

Scorpius managed to catch her lips, kissing her passionately.

"I love you, Rosie." He took her hand and gently slid the ring onto her finger. She looked at it with tears in her eyes.

"Scorpius, I love it. And I love you."

He grinned, kissing her once more.

"Now come on, up you get. It's time for you to introduce your fiancée to your parents."

Rose put on a brave face and took his hand, Apparating them both to the Burrow.


End file.
